What is the difference between OEM and Compatible Printer Cartridges?

If you see the term OEM written anywhere, it simply stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer cartridge. These cartridges are manufactured by the original brand manufacturer such as Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, HP, Lexmark, Samsung etc.

A compatible cartridge, on the other hand, is one that is manufactured by reputable plants that use similar processes to make their cartridges. These cartridges may be remanufactured ones or new compatible brand cartridges. If they are manufactured to ISO standards, their quality of print is often just as good as the original cartridge. The good news about these cartridges is that they often contain more ink and toner than the OEM brands, which generally aren't filled to capacity and therefore they will print many more pages. Also they are generally much lower in price and therefore have become a popular product for those of us that don't wish to spend a fortune on OEM cartridges.

Most printers have compatible cartridges available to buy within a short time of their release onto the market, which is a godsend as more often than not, purchasing a full set of OEM cartridges can cost as much as, if not more than what it cost you to buy your printer!! I wish I had a dollar for every customer who has asked me if using compatible or remanufactured cartridges will break their printer or void their warranty? You, as a consumer, have the legal right to use whatever type of cartridge you choose in your printer. Your warranty will only be voided if the printer manufacturer can prove that the cartridge you used in your printer broke your printer. Of course, the best way to avoid this happening is to buy compatible and remanufactured cartridges from a seller who sells only cartridges that are made by certified ISO 9001/14001 manufacturing plants. As a general rule, if you find cartridges that are just too cheap to be true, they probably aren't going to serve you or your printer very well at all.